Singles Victories Lead Cooper City To Boys` Title

GAINESVILLE -- Cooper City boys` tennis coach Steve Swank knows all about basketball. He coached the Cooper City boys` basketball team to a 27-3 record and a district title this year.

Some of basketball`s teamwork must have carried over to the tennis courts Thursday, when his other team won three singles titles en route to the school`s first Class 4A state title.

Cooper City had with 13 points to second-place Sarasota`s nine.

In girls` competition, it was a big day for Plantation`s Berger sisters. Andrea Berger won the team and overall No. 1 singles titles. Dina Berger won the team title at No. 2 singles. They teamed for the championship at No. 1 doubles. Miami Killian and Boca Raton Spanish River shared the team title, with Plantation third.

The competition was the last thing on Swank`s mind.

``Even when we lost our No. 1 player (Ivan Barron) Wednesday, the other players picked us up,`` Swank said. ``It seemed like they rallied a little harder. Tennis is an individual sport, but I think the team aspect came out today.``

Todd Rubinstein, who won the No. 5 singles title, and Pablo Giacopelli, No. 2 singles champion, are the Cowboys` only two seniors.

``Individuals win matches, but this is still a team game,`` Rubinstein said. ``One player isn`t responsible for a state title. It takes everybody. And I knew we had the people to win it all.``

While Cooper City left the tournament Thursday morning, the Spanish River girls had a nightmarish championship round.

Wednesday, the Sharks had all but locked up their second straight title. A Spanish River win or a Miami Killian loss in one of seven final matches Thursday would mean an outright title. They got neither.

Andrea Berger won the team singles title 6-3, 6-0 over Spanish River`s Amy Young and the overall title 6-4, 6-4 over Vero Beach`s Angela Lettiere, the individual bracket champion. Dina Berger added the No. 2 title, beating Rikki Spinner. The Bergers then beat Young and Spinner 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Berger, who has never lost a high school match, baffled Lettiere with a drop shot, which she used successfully 14 times.

``That`s shot has been a part of my game since I was a kid,`` said Berger. ``It`s gotten to the point that it`s more a reaction than anything else.``